To Love Is To Care
by Poppy Salvatore-Ozera
Summary: What happens when the care-free druggy and the apparently non-caring bad boy collide in a twist of fate? AU. All human.


**Au. Damon/Jeremy. All human. NOT OOC! One shot.****To love is to care.****What happens when the care-free druggy and the apparently non-caring bad boy collide in a twist of fate?**

Jeremy Gilbert was a simple guy. 16, a potential future artist. A total fitty with awesome hair. Oh, and gay. Yeah, that's right - the guy that chased after Vicky for years is gay - and the only way to escape it is drugs. He didn't like drugs. Found that they made him sick. But it was the only way. Alcohol didn't work like drugs. Drugs gave you a whole new world but alcohol only gave the normal word a layer of fuzz over it. Besides, who cared about what he was doing?

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Damon Salvatore was a complex guy. 18, going on 30. Acted like he didn't give a fuck, but had the worst problems in his life that anyone could imagine. He got abused by his father - verbally, mentally and physically - for being gay. He had tried to explain what was going on and had ended up with a beating. He knew it was against the law but he had to keep up appearances. Stefan, his younger brother, was _always_ father's favourite, but you got over it. He liked it at school when he was all bad-assed. Made him feel like he had power and strength - the complete opposite to what he felt at home. Scared. Immobilized. Tiny. Invisible. Besides, who cares how he feels?

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Jeremy couldn't do it anymore.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Damon had given up.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Jeremy went to the bridge. This was it. This was the end. The one guy he loved would never love him back because he didn't give a fuck about anyone. Especially not younger boys with crushes on him. He couldn't deal with the family arguments. Or the drugs and so-called _friends_ that ditched him. Like when he wouldn't sleep with any of the girls or supply them for free. So he came out here. Ready to end it all and make everyone's lives easier. That was until he saw someone else on the edge.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Damon left the house, planning to go on an alcohol binge then pass out in the woods - just like every other Friday night- until he saw the bridge. He knew it was out here, just didn't know he'd come far enough out to get there. An idea struck him and he realised he hadn't even opened the bottle of vodka in his hand. He took a long swig, and then threw it to the water. Standing in the centre of the bridge - the highest point - he climbed over the railing, held on tightly, and got ready to jump. Until he heard that unmistakeable voice. The voice he loved to here but could never admit it. Jeremy Gilbert. The only person he'd ever loved.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

As Jeremy recognised the figure as the one and only Damon Salvatore, he realised just how stupid he had been to even think of ending it all.

"Damon! Get over the other side of the bridge! Now, God damn it!" He yelled to the love of his life.

As Damon recognised him and swung back over to the right side of the bridge, Jeremy breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't going to lose him. Ever. And he was going to make sure of that.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Damon smiled as he ran to Jeremy and enveloped him in a big hug - not caring what he thought. Maybe Jeremy cared about him enough to want him around. And maybe not. But he knew now that he would never leaver Jeremy. Ever.

Jeremy knew it was a risk, but Damon seemed happy to see him, so he figured it was worth it. As he pried himself away from Damon's clinging hands, he braced himself for rejection.

"Damon… I love you…" Jeremy trailed off. Damon just stared at him and Jeremy quickly added, "But it's totally okay if you don't feel the same…"

Time seemed to stand still as Damon considered the younger boys words.

"And I love you Jeremy," Jeremy didn't care about what would happen after, and just revelled in Damon's words as he clung to him.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Both boys knew at that moment, that they would never be alone again.

**AND DONE!**

**I've been testing out this pairing for a while and this idea just came to me! :)****  
**

**Hope you guys enjoyed as this is my favourite pairing and I hope I did a decent job writing! It may seem far fetched but I love it! And to anyone that reads my other stories, I've just had mega writers block, and they will be continued, but not at the moment.****Please review :)****Oh, and to anyone that reads Vampire Academy, check out Diimoziiana Belikov. She is an amazing writer and my best friend and I'm also her beta! **

**So yeah :D****She also has The Mortal Instruments and Vampire Diaries :)**


End file.
